None
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an automatic baler for cotton or other bulk materials with tilt out heads for ease of maintenance.
2. Related Art
Automation has benefited the baling of bulk materials such as cotton by increasing speed and reducing material costs. Automated machines for baling bulk materials with wire, metal straps or plastic straps are known in the art. These machines bind standardized volumes and weights of bulk materials. The straps or wires must be propelled and guided around the circumference of a volume of bulk material. Thereafter the ends of the strap or wire must be sealed or knotted together. These tasks must be achieved while the bulk material is under compression. After the straps or wires are sealed or knotted, compression is released and the bulk material is constrained to its desired volume by the straps or wires.
These tasks are automatically achieved through the use of electro-servo motors for propulsion of wires or straps, guide tracks for guiding wires or straps, and limit switches or sensors for controlling the electro-servo motors. A separate electric-servo motor is used for knotting the ends of wires. These techniques are disclosed in detail, elsewhere, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/540,020 which is incorporated herein by reference. Efficient configurations for a propulsion electro-servo motor, a knotting electro-servo motor, beginning and ending termini of a guide track and a knotting station generally place all these items in close proximity. Conventionally, these components are mounted on a head in a fixed manner in order to insure durability, stability and economy of manufacture.
Cotton Industry Standards for the number of baling wires per bale is six or eight, six being the standard for the most commonly used bales. Known automatic balers have three heads mounted abreast on a carriage that translates. It is typical for these heads to be incorporated into a single carriage unit either by welding, machining or bolting, again for the purpose of strength, durability and ease of manufacture. Electro-servo motors, knotting stations and other components require periodic maintenance and occasional repair. The fixed mounting configurations of the present state of the art make such regular maintenance and repair difficult, time consuming, expensive and error prone.
There is a need in the art for a bracket head that will secure servo motors, knotters and tying stations in required configurations during operation while allowing for rapid and convenient repair and maintenance of those components.
The present invention is a tilt-out tying head. The tying head is that portion of a bracket assembly to which are fixed the necessary components for baling, including but not limited to a propulsion electro-servo motor, a knotter electro-servo motor, knotting mechanisms, cutters, tensioning grippers and, in some embodiments, limit switches. These components together, in cooperation with the ends of a guide track, comprise the tying head. The present invention is a tying head that tilts out and away from the parallel heads adjacent to it in order to provide easy access to the tying head components for maintenance and repair.
It is an object of this invention to make tying head component repair and maintenance easy, safe, rapid and economical.